of wilmington



Patented Feb. 22, 1921'.-

UNITED STATES 1,618,369 PATENT OFFICE.

m; ENGELMANN AND ALAN a mmerrr, or wnmINo'roN, DELAWARE, assre ons 'ro E. I. no roNr DE Nnuouns a COMPANY, or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ACOR- PORATION OF DELAWARE.

nrsmrncrmo comrosrrIoN.

No Drawing.

' This invention relates to compositions suitable for use as seed disinfectants, and especially to compositions of such a character that they ma be advanta eously incorporated in the ry state wit or applied to, seeds by a dustin process. Our 'mvention comprises disin ecting compositions in which certain metal oxides or salts that are not readily soluble in water, are mixedwith 10. comparatively water-insoluble organic mercury compounds, and particularly compounds in which the mercury atoms aremetals such as-magnesium, calcium, barium,

strontium, or aluminum; and if these mixtures be applied to seeds by any eflicient dusting process; then b virtue of the fine state of sub-division o the effective mercurial constituent, combined with the slight solvent effect exerted by the metal oxide or hydroxide in the resence of the moisture of the soil in which said seeds may have been sown,'there is roduced a disinfectant 85 efl'ect upon such se in that the. spores or germs of plant diseases are destroyed. The I percentage germination of the seed and therefore the yield of grain, are greatlyincreased by this treatment, a

In U. S. Patent 1,167,642 are described mixtures of organic mercury com nude and caustic 'soda which are complete y soluble in water; on account of this property, and being very hygroscopic, the cannot be as such mixtures would tend to form a cake and thereby clog the exit tubesof drilling machinery. The products forming the subect matter .of our invention on the other used for the dusting of seeds be ore sowing,

and are rfectly dry' wders which are ,only very rightly solubFe -in water, which well retain their consistency, and. whlch may 2 therefore .be mixed with ry gra n for the disinfecting ourpose already described.

Applioationilled January 11, 1928. Serial No. 612,008.

The ability to use the disinfecting agent 1n the dry condition is especially advantageous in connection with the sowing of grains, such as wheat, on a largescale, for m such cases the use of the disinfecting agent in the form of its aqueous. solution is im racticable.

ercury compounds which we have found to be effective for purposes of this inventlon include the mercury derivatives of phenols and of aromatic acids in which the mercury atom is attached directly to a ring carbon atom. As examples of such mercury derivatives, the following may be cited 1. Ortho-mercuri-para-nitrophenol (inner anhydride) having the formula:

2. Ortho-acetyloxymercuri-phenol:

-3. 2-mercuri-6-chlorophenol sulphate:

4. Ortho-mercuribenzoic acid (inner anhydride):

5, 2, G-mercurichlorobenzoic acid (inner anhydride):

ponding phenols: andthe mercuribenzoic acid derivatives may be produced by causmg a mercury salt to react with phthahc anhydride or with a salt of phthalic acid,

a C0 group being eliminated.

The substances which are to be used in admixture with organic mercury compounds in accordance with our invention are those metal oxides, hydroxides and salts (such as carbonate) which, when mixed or combined with the mercury compounds above described, form non-hygroscopic products in which, either dry or on treatment with water, the mercury is not split off in any reat uch metal derivatives are those, for example, oi the alkaline-earth group, and especially hydrated lime or magnesia. These substances may be described generally as solubilizing agents of a low degree of activity, which actalso as vehicles for the organic mercury com ounds, thereby facilitating distribution 0 the latter during the dusting treatment.

To render it more available, that is, to increase its disinfecting action to the desired extent, the mercury compound should be present in a very finely divided condition, for example 100 mesh or liner, and preferably of such fineness as to pass through a 200 mesh screen i The proportions of the ingredients of our new compositions may vary widely; in general the mercury compound may equal from about 10 to 30% of the mixture, the metal oxide, hydroxide, etc. making up the remainder. The proportion of solubilizing agent of a low degree of activity (e. g. lime or ma nesia) should be greater than an equimolecular proportion with respect to the mercury compound present.

Our invention may be illustrated by the following example:

Twenty (20) parts of ortho-mercuri-benzoic acid of such fineness that it can be passed through a. 200 mesh screen, is thorouggily mixed with parts of powdered lime. he resulting powder is relatively insoluble in water, is non-hygroscopic, and is capable of forming a closely adherent coating on seeds when mixed with the latter.

Although we prefer to use aromatic mercury compounds, aliphatic mercury compounds may also be used. It is considered essential that the mercury com ound be of acid character, that is, capable o yielding, in the presence of alikali-formin metal oxides or hydroxides, compounds which are at least partly soluble in water.

The seed-disinfecting mixtures conftituting the subject matter of our invention are generally from whitish to yellowish powders almost insoluble in water, which retain their dry, powdery form on exposure to air containing ordinary amounts of moisture, and which dissolve partly, upon prolonged treatdegreefrom the basal substance.

not dissolve completely in 15 times its weight of water at 15 C.

111 place of the free mcrcuri-phcnols or free mercuri-carboxylic acids, the calcium, magnesium, or other alkali-earth metal salt of these mercurized phenols and acids may be used \Ve claim:

1. A composition suitable for disinfectingseeds by a dusting process and comprising a relatively water-insoluble organic mercury compound and a relatively water-insoluble metal-oxygen compound which is capable of acting on said mercury compound as a sol-.

ubilizing agent of a low degree of activity.

2. A composition suitable for disinfecting seeds by a dusting process and comprising a relativelywater-insoluble organic mercury compound in which the mercury atoms are attached directly to atoms of carbon and a relatively water-insoluble metal-oxygen compound which is capable of acting on said anercury compound as a solubilizing agent ofa low degree of activity.

3. A composition suitable for disinfecting seeds by a dusting process and comprising a relatively wateninsoluble organic mercury compound and relatively water-insoluble alkaline substances of the elements of the alkaline earth metal group, said composition being a non-hygroscopic powder capable of forming a closely adherent coating on'seeds when mixed with the latter.

4. A composition as set forth in claim 1 in which the proportion of the mercury compound is from about 10 to 30%.

5. A composition as set forth in claim 3 in which the proportion of the mercury compound is from about 10 to 30%.

6. A composition as set forth in claim 3 in which the alkaline substance is selected from a group consisting of lime and magnesla.

7 A composition suitable for disinfecting seeds by a dusting process and com rising an aromatic mercury compound in w ich 11161 relativeiy water-insoluble alkaline substances of the ements of the alkaline earth metal 9. A composition as set forth in claim 8 i in which the alkaline substance is'an alkaline earth. a

10. A composition as set forth in claim 8 in which 'the alkaline substance is selected from a .group consisting of lime and magnesia.

' 11. A composition as set forth in claim 7 t mercuri-benzene derivative in which a ringcarbon atom is attached to a substituent comprising the group: OH

15. A disinfecting composition comprising an organic mercury compound mixed with an inorganic metal-oxygen compound to form a mixture having a greater solubility in water than that of the mercury compound alone, said composition being incompletely soluble in fifteen times its weight of water at 15 C. t

16. A disinfecting composition comprising-an organic mercury compound mixed with alkaline substances of the elements of the alkaline earth metal group, said composition being incompletely soluble in fifteen times its weight of water at 15 C.

17; A disinfectin composition comprising a finely dividecf mixture of an organic mercury compound in which the mercu is attached directly to carbon, with alka e substances of the elements of the alkaline earth metal group, said composition being incompletely soluble in fifteen times its weight of water at 15 C.

18. A composition as set forth in claim 17 in which the proportion of the mercury compound is from about 10 to 30%.

' 19. A composition as set forth in claim 17 in which the proportion of the mercury com pound is from about 10 to 30%, and in which the said mercury compound is suflicientl finely divided to pass through a 200 mes s screen.

20. A composition-as set forth in claim 17 in which the proportion of the mercury compound is from about 10 to 30%. and in which the alkaline substance comprises an alkaline earth metal hydroxide.

21. Disinfecting compositions comprising mixtures of relatively insoluble alkaline substances of the elements of the alkaline earth metal group with an aromatic mercury compound in which mercury atoms are a tached directly to atoms of carbon, said mixtures being from whitish to yellowish powders almost insoluble in water, which retain their dry, powdery form on exposure to air containing ordinary amounts of moisture, and which dissolve partly, upon prolonged treatment with water, to form a solution from which the dissolved mercury compound can be precipitated by acidifying with hydrochloric acid,

22. As an article of commerce, seeds coated with a solid, finely divided mixture of a nonhygroscopic water-soluble organic mercury composition and a solid diluent therefor.

23. As an article of commerce, seeds coated with a non-hygroscopic, water-soluble composition containing a toxic mercury compound and a solid diluent therefor.

24:. As an article of commerce, seeds coated with a d dust or powder consisting of mercuri-ch orophenol, and hydrated lime. v

In testimony whereof we aflix our si aul'es- MAX ENGELMANN.

ALAN R. ALBRIGHT. 

